Lament of a Scarecrow
by Lidsworth
Summary: Due to a past invasion on the village, Kakashi finds himself adopting his orphaned and now crippled student Sakura Haruno. He reflects one morning on his life with the girl, and once again realizes that his cherry blossom sprouts color and love in his once black and white life every single moment she is with him.
1. Lament of a Scarecrow

**Lament of a Scarecrow (unbeta'd) **

The table was set for breakfast and Kakashi steadily carried his student and placed her on her chair next to her plate. Using a large spoon and picking up some of the steaming oatmeal, Kakashi brought the hot substance to his mouth and blew to cool it off. Careful he brought to spoon to her mouth, edging it closer and closer to her sealed lips that slowly began to open. With a small challenge, Sakura managed to swallow the oatmeal.

She giggled.

Be it rainy, cloudy, sunny or snowy, the girl alway giggled .

That's how she started every morning, with a lazy giggle. Kakashi may have asked her what's wrong, or what's so funny depending on the day, knowing full well that the pink haired girl would not answer him back. However, as much as she laughed without a reason, Kakashi continued to ask without reason.

She laughed despite the fact she could no longer walk, no longer speak correctly, or no longer care for herself. That struck Kakashi more than anything else. A completely crippled girl, weak and defenseless, sat on her chair and laughed in the face of a monster who could snap her twig like neck in a second. But he never did, he never felt the need to. So instead, he asked...

It hadn't always been like this, though. His student wasn't always rendered to a giggling and confused mess in a wheelchair. No, Sakura Haruno had been once a proud and strong shinobi, fearless and agile. Now, a shell of his old student remained, her body damaged in an invasion...too damaged to fix.

Unfortunately, her parents had been killed in the invasion as well, rendering a mentally unstable Sakura and orphan, and due to her new high maintenance lifestyle, no one had the time to care for her.

However, Kakashi was done losing those close to him. Despite the warning and the stress that was sure to befall him the instant he'd let his crippled student into his home, he accepted the task like a responsible adult. He'd quit going on missions completely in order to care for the girl, he'd rarely left the house in fear that she would hurt herself, in other words, he dedicated himself fully to his mentally damaged student.

The task at hand was hard at first. The medicine, the accidents, cleaning and feeding her proved challenging to the former ANBU, but nevertheless, he didn't back down. Eventually, he'd gotten use to her accidents and messes, until with proper care they completely stopped and life for Kakashi got a little easier, and his heart had gotten a little softer.

Caring for Sakura was a completely different experience for him. She required his fast pace life to slow itself down to the lowest speed, to give himself completely to a girl who couldn't even clean herself, and to expect nothing back in doing so.

Well...to be fair, when Iruka began visiting Sakura as well(due to certain circumstances, the teacher could watch her, though he would if he had the resources), he did get "something" back. It could be considered love, or just companionship, but whenever Iruka dropped by to check on the two (which was often, everyday often) a warm feeling in Kakashi's stomach bubbled, and it took him awhile to figure out what it actually meant.

Naruto visited...he used to visit Sakura all the time. But life "caught up with him", and as a result, his daily visits degraded to weekly visits and finally, monthly visits. Eventually, Naruto faded from Sakura's life. But Kakashi never left her alone, he played with her, read to her and loved her as he would a daughter. Sakura seemed oblivious to the world around her, and Kakashi prayed that inside of her twisted and damaged mind, she was living a fairytale where her prince was Sasuke, and her world was drenched in happiness.

Kakashi blinked...he had been pressing an empty spoon to the girls lips. She looked at him, confused at first, but the same giggle erupted in her chest and out of her mouth. KAkashi smiled, and inwardly apologized, knowing she'd be confused if he did so aloud. And as he had always, he asked her a simple question.

"Sakura, what's so funny?"

**Done! It's like 12:02 and about 80 degrees under my comforter. I'm sorry for any spelling mistakes, I just wanted to post this as i'm working on like two assignments at midnight! Oh, this is the time where ghost are at their most active! Anyway, I really hoped you liked this, I planned to make it longer and more elaborated, but the idea was just fresh in my head and I didn't want to lose it. Also, if you couldn't take a hint, Kakashi and Iruka are sorta kinda an item :D, just had to allude to that. Did you read the new chapter, its strange isn't it? Anyway,hope you like this, i don't own Naruto! God bless. **


	2. Elegy

A dagger dangled in his fingers, threatening to turn to his neck at any given moment. He looked at the two graves below him, clear and granite. Solemnly, he reflected.

It wasn't his fault, he knew that for a fact. Death was death, and it came sooner for others. Unfortunately for Sakura, it had come too soon. At least in Kakashi's opinion. He knew her body wasn't as strong as it was before, and that her brain was damaged beyond repair but still, she didn't deserve to die.

He knew it was going to happen, but God did he dreaded the day. Tsunade had already assured Kakashi of Sakura's deteriorating system, she'd warned him that there was no undoing the damage. Kakashi ignored it, he ignored it the best he could. For five years, he raised Sakura like the daughter he never had, for five years, he lived. And as quickly as God gave him life, he took it away.

The once curious cripple had been degraded to nothing more than a small form in her wheelchair. She giggled still. However, her skin was now so pale it could be considered gray, while her once vibrant pink hair faded and her bones stuck out of her skin like a starving P.O.W. Her lips were thin and white, while her eyes sunk into her head. Kakashi stayed by her side, dressing her, cleaning her, attempting to feed her and caring for her. Seeing her wither away pierced his heart, a pierce sharper than the sharpest knife could have delivered. He stayed strong for Sakura though, he was well aware she mirrored what he reflected. If he was acting nervous, she'd act nervous She still giggled, but not much any more. So naturally, he acted as if nothing was wrong, as if her major health decline was nothing significant. Just as he had done so for Sakura, he remained happy to those outside, letting them know that he was alright and he was caring for Sakura the best he could.

Everyone knew she was dying, it seemed they chose to ignore it too.

However, when he was with Iruka, Kakashi wasn't afraid to let his emotions spill over, and often found himself crying into the chest of the younger man. A cloud hung over his head, and he let Iruka know that the instant Sakura died, God would take Iruka too. Iruka attempted to dispel the Kakashi's fears, but the silver haired man would hear nothing of it. The people he loved died, simple and plain. So, he stopped visiting Iruka completely.

When the girl giggled her happiest, Kakashi had known Sakura's time was up. He attempted to avoid Iruka for the remainder of his life, however, he'd seen him last at Sakura's funeral, Iruka tried to talk to him, he tried to tell him something important, but Kakashi had ignored him, and continued to do so for weeks. Kakashi had regretted doing so deeply, as Iruka had been killed on a mission two months after Sakura's death.

Kakashi had been standing over two graves, both blood stained as a figure now collapsed on top of them.

**I don't own Naruto. I debated putting a happier sorta ending, but thought against it. In an epilogue, i'll probably talk about Kakashi in heaven, so maybe i'll write that maybe I won't...you know what, I will. So, in a day or two fellas! Anyway, it was originally supposed to be one chapter, but three's alright. Anyway, i'm writing a new story for Kakashi and Iruka, I hope you all enjoy that one! Hope you liked this chapter, have a nice week and God bless! **


	3. AN: Summer Fic

**AN: I won't be posting for about two weeks, and if I do post, it's because I was lucky. I have finals and projects to work on, and I've been trying to squeeze in time for each of m y stories, but honestly I don't have the time at the moment. So, until May 30****th****, which is when I get out of school for the summer, I'll be scarcely posting. Yes, I know it seems short, the span, but for a sophomore in high school anticipating finals, it's a loooooong time(I'm sure other high school students, college students and middle scholars can relate) If I post anything, it will most likely be a one chapter short, like I'll probably post something like that by the end of the week, but other than that, none of my chapter stories will be updated. So, if a story gets this, it's because I'm working on it and I haven't given up, they'll just have to be summer fics. I'm just posting this so you guys don't think I've completely forgotten about these stories, the summer will bring more updates. Anyway, hope you guys stay tunned to my stories. Have a nice weekend, be careful of the weather, good luck on any other's having exams, and God bless :D **


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